One day really soon we’re all going to need to have drone driver licenses or we can wait a few more years until we’re riding shotgun in our autonomously controlled drone vehicles. To kick off life in the drone lane the USS Intrepid: Sea Air and Space Museum, a 1943 aircraft carrier turned museum, recently opened their newest exhibit Drones: Is the Sky the Limit?
Surprisingly, drones have been in the picture for a quite some time. As they get smaller (and larger), lower cost and more easily maneuverable, they’re finding their way into everything from surveying migrating animals to delivering precious medical supplies, from entertaining us to delivering our packages. Originally called “unmanned flying vehicles” the name drone struck because of that (irritating) whirring sound they make in flight. To walk you through the museum’s eclectic curation I’m asking you to Test Your Drone Knowledge.
1. Silent Film Actor
This actor was a famous silent film actor of the 1920s. He was also a model airplane enthusiast. In 1940, he founded the Radioplane Company, which designed and manufactured some of the first radio control equipment for model aircraft. At the outbreak of World War II, he adapted his technology for the war effort. Who is this famous silent era actor?
2. Volantis
The garment is called Volantis. It is a remotely controlled platform that flies several feet off the ground courtesy of rotors mounted to the end of the six arms that radiate from a central post. What famous pop star had this drone outfit built for her?
3. Norma Jean Mortenson
Norma Jean Mortenson was discovered while working in the RadioPlane munitions factory in 1944. What was her stage name?
4. Paramour
It may look like an Easter Bonnet but this flying lampshade was created by a theatrical performance company for its production of Paramour. What’s the name of the famous company?
5. Insitu ScanEagle
The Insitu ScanEagle was the first drone approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for commercial use beyond line of sight, where the operator can’t see it. Fishermen use the ScanEagle to locate schools of fish. What company owns Insitu, maker of the ScanEagle?
6. Israeli Drone
This Israeli drone can carry large payloads and is being billed as the first “flying car”. What is its name?
7. Drone Racing
See the display glasses on the right? One of the simulations at the exhibit lets you play the part of a professional drone pilot racing your drone through obstacles. What company has made professional drone racing a sport you can watch on TV?
8. Amazon Prime Air drones
Amazon Prime Air drones are a helicopter/airplane hybrid that can do a vertical lift off. Final designs (there will be a variety of them) are still being sorted out. What is Amazon promising in the way of delivery speeds?
9. Self-driving concept car
Research indicates there will be 10 million cars with self-driving, autonomous capabilities on the road by 2020. You will be able to interact with your vehicle in new ways and it will learn to understand what you want to do. Who developed this concept car?
10. Zipline
The Zipline was developed to deliver medical supplies in places too hard to reach by any other mode of transportation. Where is it being tested?
11. The Ebee drone
The lightweight Ebee drone weighs only a pound and a half and it assembles in minutes. It can fly for nearly an hour and it’s quiet too What is one of its primary uses?
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Drones: Is the Sky the Limit is open at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum from May 10, through December 3, 2017.
Answers:
1. Reginal Denny.
2. Lady Gaga
3. Cirque du Soleil
4. Marilyn Monroe
5. Boeing
6. The Cormorant
7. Drone Racing League
8. “Under 30 minutes” (for packages up to 5 pounds).
9. Kairos, a company that specializes in artificial intelligence, in particular, facial recognition.
10. Rwanda where it’s delivering emergency packages including blood to local hospitals and clinics.
11. Tracking Migratory Birds
Robin Raskin is founder of Living in Digital Times (LIDT), a team of technophiles who bring together top experts and the latest innovations that intersect lifestyle and technology. LIDT produces conferences and expos at CES and throughout the year focusing on how technology enhances every aspect of our lives through the eyes of today’s digital consumer.